Load transfer device for roadways



Oct. 18, 1938. 1 B. JHNSON LOAD TRANSFER DEVICE FoP. RoADwAYs F- gfEkki-.MM5 l Loan TRANSFER.

l m..-20,8zm PATENT vOFFICE."

20.886 I nevica ron Roanwsrs Louis 1 3. Johnson, Baltimore, Md.; r toDow-Weld Company, Inc., a corporation of Maryland Original No.2,104,866, dated January 11, 1938, Se-

rial No.

137,114, April 15, 19137. Application for reissue June 14, 1938, SerialNo. 214,053

. 12 Claims.

This invention relates to joint forming means to be used in roadways.pavements and the like, and more particularly to a load-transfer devicefor concrete, roadways for permitting the concrete slabs forming theroadway to expand andl contract.

One of the objects of the invention is the construction of adowel'assembly to be used in conjunction with the expansion joint orexpansion 10 material in a concrete roadway, said assembly serving tohold its dowels parallelv to each other and likewise parallel to thefinished grade.

Another purpose is the formation of adowel assembly to be used inconjunction with an expansion joint or expansion material in a concreteroadway, said assembly having an angle member forming a continuousbearing support for the joint throughout its entire length and servingto prevent the overturning or depression of the joint.

Still a further aim is the building of a dowel assembly of the characterabove specifled and in which the dowels of the assembly are rigidlyfixed with respect to each other permitting the deposi- I tion ofconcrete over the joint and dowels and yet holding the joint in perfectalignment at all times.

Other aims and objects will be apparent to` those skilled in the artfrom the description of the invention hereinafter appearing when read inconjunction with the appended drawing forming a part hereof to whichreference is now made in which:-

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the novel dowel assembly prior to itsinsertion in a concrete pavement or roadway and`showing the manner in`which the dowels are connected to each other and to an angularsupporting bearing member.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, showing lthemanner of mounting the dowel assembly in a concrete roadway and itsrelationship-to an expansion joint normally positionedbetween adjacentslabs of the roadway..

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, showing therelationship between the expansion joint and its dowel assembly. Fig. 4is a view similar to that of Figure 2, but

showing a modied type of dowel bar.` Referring rst to Figures 1 to 3,inclusive, the dowel assembly-is generally designated as A and is shownas comprising an elongated supporting member/I0, in the 'form of anangle iron, said angle iron or member having a horizontal portion I I.and a vertical portion I2 at right angles thereto. By the use of theterm horizontal and vertical v to describe the portions il and I2respectively,

of said angle iron member Ill, it will be `underso is set in a roadwayfor use in conjunction with an expansion joint, indicated on the drawingas E. v The reference numeral I3 designates a series of similar dowel bya horizontal section IlV and a downwardly extending curved section I5.,projecting from said horizontal section Il. It is preferred to constructeach dowel I3 of a single piece of three-quarter inch metal of circularcross-section, although various other thicknesses may be employed. Atransverse bar IGis welded as at 4Il to all ofthe dowel bars I3 to holdthe latter in alignment in equidistantly spaced parallel verticalplanes. The lowermostvportlon or end of the hooked-shaped or curvedsection I5 of each bar I3 is rigidly connected, preferably by welding,as at points I8 and I9, to the horizontal and vertical portions of theangle member III. By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing it will be seenthat the transverse lbar I5 is in spaced rela/tion to the verticalportion I2 of the `angle member IU and in the same vertical planetherewith. The purpose'of this construction will be shortly described.

In the building of a roadway the sub-grade G is rst prepared to providea suitable foundation, and the dowel assembly A is then positionedthereon-with the vertical portion I2 of the angle pins or bars, eachcharacterized iron of said assembly normal to the upper surl facethereof. The expansion joint E is provided with spaced apertures 20through which the horizontal `sections I4 ofthe dowels I3 pass, as willbe seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawing. Loosely positioned overthe outer end of each of said 'sections I4 is a tubular expansion sleeve2| for a purpose to be shortly described.

By virtue of the fact that the rod I6 is in the same vertical plane asthe portion I2 of the angleA iron I0, the expansion joint E is properlypositioned in a. vertical plane when it is moved into contact with oneface I2 of the angle iron 'lli and with the horizontal rodv I6, as willbe seen from an inspection ofFig. 2 of the drawing. The expansion jointE and the 'entire dowel assembly A are preferably held in this position,by any suitable means receives the. free endv of thel section I4 ofeach' dowel I3 to allow expansion and contraction thereof. 'Ihis willalso be seenl by reference to Fig. 2 o f the drawing. f

In lthe modied form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 .of the drawing,the dowel bar 23 is characterized by a horizontal portion 24 and avertical portion 25 at right angles to said horizontal portion'andintermediatethe ends thereof, forming in effect a T-shaped dowel. Thevertica l po'rtion25 is welded to the angle member I0 in a mannersimilar to that described with refer- 2 ence to the 'preferredembodiment of the in'- vention shown in Figs. 1 to`3 inclusive. vIt willalso be understood that there are a plurality of T-shaped dowels Ilcorrespndin to dowels Il, a rod or bar I I welded to said dowels 2l, andthe principles of the invention and other details of construction arethe same in both the preferred embodiment of the invention and` in themodiiied form of Figure 4. A

From the foregoing description, it will now be apparent that the dowelswill always be held parallel to each other and to the finished grade;that the angle member forms a continuous support or prop for theexpansion joint and servesV 'to prevent the` overturning thereof. Alsoit will be understood that in lieu of a preformed joint, a joint maybebuilt up to extend above the sub-grade and that the dowel assemblyserves to maintain the`Joint normalto the roadway bed and grade. Whileit .is preferred to weld the dowelsto theV angle member other forms ofconnecting thesame may be employed.

Obviously the inventionis susceptible to more or less modication thanwhat has beenv shown. and described, and desirable changes may suggestthemselves` to those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is contemplated to cover all suchmodiiication and to be limited in this respect only as may be necessaryby the claims hereto appended.

I claimz- 1. A load-transfer device for roadways Vcomprising asupporting member having horizontal and vertical flanges, a plurality ofdowels positioned at spaced intervals extending above said member andtransversely thereof, said dowels each having a vertical extensionrigidly connected tofsaid member.

2. A load-transfer device for roadways com- 40'prising a supportingmember having horizontal and vertical flanges, a plurality of dowelspositioned at spaced intervals extending above said member andtransversely thereof, each of said dowels having an integral verticalextension welded to the horizontal and vertical anges of said supportingmember.

3. A.l load-transfer device for roadways com` prising a supportingmember having horizontal and vertical'anges, a plurality of dowels positioned at spaced intervals extending above said member and transverselythereof, each oi' said dowels having an integralvertical extensionwelded to the horizontal and vertical flanges of said supporting member,and means connected to all of said dowels for maintaining same and saidsupporting member as a rigid unit.

i 4. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising an angle memberhaving horizontal and vertical anges, a plurality of dowels having ahorizontal portion and a downwardly extending Y vertical portion at oneend thereof, said horizontal portions extending at spaced intervals in asingle horizontal plane above and transversely of said angle member,said vertical portions being rigidly'secured to said flanges, and a rodsecured to all of the horizontal portions of said (dowels.

5. A load-transfer device for roadways com-- prising a supporting memberhaving horizontal and vertical flanges, a plurality of dowels positionedat spaced `intervals extending above said sasso member land transverselythereof. said `dowels each having -a downwardly lprojecting extensionrigidly connected to said member.

6. A load-transfer device for roadways com# prising a supporting'memberhaving horizontal vand vertical flanges, a plurality of dowelspositioned at. spaced intervals extending above said member.andtransversely thereof, each of said dowels having an integraldownwardly projecting extension welded to the horizontal and verticalflanges of. said supporting member.

7. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising a supporting memberhaving horizontal and vertical anges, a pluralityof dowels positioned atspaced intervals extending above said member. and transversely thereof,each of said dowels having an integral downwardly projecting extensionwelded to the horizontal andvertical flanges oi' said supportingmember,'and means connected to all of said dowels for maintainingv sameand said supporting member as a rigid unit. i

8. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising an angle member havinghorizontal and vertical flanges, a: plurality of dowels having 'ahorizontal portion and a downwardly extending portion at one endthereof, said horizontal portions extending at spaced intervals in a'single horizontal plane above and transversely of said angle member,said downwardly extending portions being rigidly secured to saidilangea'and a rod secured to all of the horizontal portions of saiddowels.

9.- A load-transfer device for roadways comprising a supporting member,a plurality of dowels each having a straight portion and a curvedextension of said straight portion, the straight portions of all of saiddowels atspaced intervals extending transversely ofk and above saidVsupporting member, each of said curved extensions being rigidlyconnected to said member.

-10. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising afsupporting member,a plurality of dowels each having a straight portion and a curvedextension of said straight portion,rthe straight( portions of all ofsaid dowels at `spaced intervals extending transversely of and abovesaid sup-` porting member, each of said curved extensions being rigidlyconnected to said member, and Imeans secured to the upper surface of allof said dowels connecting same together.

1'1. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising a supporting member,a plurality of dow-y Aels each having a straight portion and a curvedextension of said straight portion, the straight portions of all of saiddowelsat spaced intervals extending transversely of and above saidsupporting member, each of said curved extensions being rigidly`connected to said member, and a rod secured to the upper surface of allof said dowels. 12. A load-transfer device for roadways comprising asupporting member, a plurality of clow-` elseach having a straightportion and a curved extension of said straight portion, the straightportions of all of said dowels at spaced intervals extendingtransversely of and above said sup, porting member, each of saidcurved'extensions being rigidly connected to said member, and a i rodwelded to the upper'surface of said dowels.

. LOUIS B. JOHNSON.

